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Man kills three year old son in attempt to keep him from being 'gay'

TAMPA – According to a July 14 Planet Out report, a Tampa, Florida man has been accused of abusing his three-year-old son to death in efforts "to prevent him from being gay." According to the report, "Ronnie Paris would shake, wet himself and vomit as his father forced him into a box and repeatedly slapped him on the head in an effort to prevent him from being gay, the child's mother, Nysheerah Paris, testified [July 11, the first day of the man's trial for murder]. The boy was 3 years old when he died from swelling on both sides of the brain on January 28. Ronnie Paris, Jr. is accused of physically abusing the toddler until he slipped into a coma.
Planet Out quoted the boy's aunt, Shanita Powell, as telling the court, "He was trying to teach him how to fight. He was concerned that the child might be gay."
A friend of the defendant's from a Bible study class, Shelton Bostic, told the court "He [the defendant] didn't want him [the child] to be a sissy," according to Planet Out.
"Once again, homophobia has led to homicide," said Sean Kosofsky, director of policy for Michigan's Triangle Foundation. "What does it say about a society when you can murder your own infant for fear he might be gay? This should shock the nation regarding the level of anti-gay animosity that exists in our culture."
The child was removed from his parents' custody in 2002, but was returned to them on Dec. 14, 2004. The boy slipped into a coma on Jan. 22 and was taken off life support six days later, according to the report. The boy's mother is charged with felony neglect.
A July 18 BTL Internet search found that no mainstream news organizations were covering this story.
For more information visit Planet Out at http://www.planetout.com/news/article.html?2005/07/14/3

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